THE DARK KNIGHT REBORN
by Nicholas P. Thronen
Summary: With Bruce Wayne hoping to have donned his Cape and Cowl for the last time, John Blake works tirelessly to restore order in Gotham in the wake of Bane's destruction. But a new evil lurks in the shadows – an opportunist, who is ready to exploit the vulnerable condition of a dilapidated city for his own malevolent plans, willing to do whatever it takes to create his new regal empire.
1. Scene 1

_**THE DARK KNIGHT REBORN**_

A SUNRISE. A NEW DAWN. A BRIGHT shape emerges from the sun, darkening - enigmatic. There is something both familiar and distinctive - it resembles a BAT. The vague bat-like symbol approaches slowly until finally revealed as - the NIGHTWING SYMBOL. Growing. Filling the screen with the unsettling BLOOD-RED DARKNESS of NIGHT.

CUT TO:

MOONLIGHT. Panning down onto the outskirts of downtown Gotham... revealing a parade of Black Vehicles. And we are-

EXT. STREETS, WEALTHY DISTRICT, GOTHAM - NIGHT

The parade of Jet Black Vehicles drives efficiently, methodically, purposefully. In the rear of the parade, a limo, heavily armored - an elongated tank. The train of vehicles turns uniformly into a wealthy subdivision and pulls into the drive of an ostentatious mansion, parking discretely under the nearby trees. The property is so vast that nearby mansions can scarcely be seen. A team of mercenaries emerges from the vehicles, well-trained, well-equipped, and synchronized, as if the soldiers were a single entity. They approach the gate undetected, avoiding sight of the security guard. They easily scale the gate and take out the guard without being discovered, injecting him quickly in the neck with cyanide.

An erudite man remains in the limo, only seen from behind, waiting patiently with his two most trusted men by his side - bodyguards, DEADLY and TERRIFYING. He is elegantly dressed, as if he is prepared for a most indelible reunion. He waits patiently, reading the daily Gotham Times, almost oblivious to the efforts of his men outside. He is CONFIDENT and RESOLUTE.

The Black vehicles move through the gate picking up the team seemingly without even stopping. The cavalcade arrives at the foot of the mansion and disappears into the darkness. The entire team emerges from the darkness as one. Each knows his task as they quickly disarm a sophisticated set of alarms and cameras. They penetrate the mansion, silently taking out all who stand in their way. They have one mission, one target, one goal. They secure the mansion and are stationed at the entrance to the master bedroom as the erudite man checks his watch, calmly steps out of his limousine, and walks serenely up the beautiful grand staircase. _Every move that he makes is cold, calculated, sophisticated, and... insidious_. Upon arriving at the master bedroom door, he nods to his men.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

As they breach the room, the men secure the wife before she manages to even make a sound, ripping her from the bed and taking her to the side. She is terrified. The Rich Man remains on the bed, frozen with fear.

The erudite man looks up. Oswald Cobblepot. It is clear that he is the one in charge.

RICH MAN 1

(stuttering)

Wwwwhat do you want from me?...do you want money... I, I have a lot of money...

COBBLEPOT

Does it appear as if I need your permission to take your money?

As he speaks, there is an eerie elegance to his words.

RICH MAN 1

Wwwhy then are you here? Who are you?

COBBLEPOT

Do you not remember?

Cobblepot begins to slowly walk closer to him, revealing his penguin-like walk due to his deformity.

COBBLEPOT

Over time I have learned to compensate for my deformity, rendering it almost imperceptible to the naked-eye... but the pain, I could never conceal.

Zooms in on the Rich Man's eyes, a REVELATION.

The canopy closes - and as Cobblepot walks closer to him, the Rich Man remembers -

EXT. BOARDING SCHOOL, NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - DAY

Kids laughing in the background. RAINING. Zooming in on a wealthy boarding school and panning down to an exterior brick wall of the school.

A group of young kids surround a short, stocky teenager.

YOUNG COBBLEPOT

(crying)

Stop! Leave me alone!

YOUNG RICH MAN 1

Oh, poor little birdie. What's wrong? Daddy not around to protect you?

The Young Rich Man pushes Young Cobblepot in the chest, and he stepped back trying to catch his balance, but his debilitation caused him to stumble and fall to the ground.

YOUNG BOY

Look at the baby, he is still learning how to walk.

Cobblepot tries to get up and another young boy pushes him down, this time face first in the mud.

Several of the kids take turns kicking him.

YOUNG RICH MAN 1

What you gonna do about it? Go cry to mommy?

The Young Rich Man spits on him, and they walk away, leaving Cobblepot lying on the ground. ALONE. He tries to get up again and slips back into the mud. He looks up, tears pouring from his dejected eyes. His only comfort comes as he spots a small Sparrow on a tree branch just a few meters away, the only creature yet to abandon him.

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Zooms out from the Rich Man, who is even more terrified after realizing the identity of his captor.

PENGUIN

Good... It's all coming back now.

RICH MAN 1

(stuttering)

Oswald?

Penguin turns his head slightly, deliberately, looking into the distance.

PENGUIN

I gave up that name long ago, in favor of another more... _desirable_ name. You should know it. After all...

Penguin turns and looks directly at the Rich Man, grinning. His eyes are daggers, PIERCINGLY SHARP.

PENGUIN

... you gave it to me.

INT. BOARDING SCHOOL, NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - DAY

Young Cobblepot is being tied to a tree. In the background, a boy is bringing a group of girls toward Cobblepot.

The remaining boys including the Young Rich Man begin throwing eggs at Cobblepot, mockingly waddling around, and calling out "Penguin, Penguin, Penguin." The girls stand by pointing and laughing.

INT. MASTER BEADROOM - NIGHT

RICH MAN 1

Oswald... we were just kids... we didn't know any better. Please...

PENGUIN

Do you think I care what you have to say to me now?

RICH MAN 1

So, what is it that you want then?

PENGUIN

(with a sinister precision)

I want you to die.

The Rich Man 1 is frozen with fear, then glances over at his wife.

PENGUIN

Don't worry. Her own respite will be brief.

RICH MAN 1

(terrified and pleading)

Nooooooo... Why are you doing this?

PENGUIN

Though it will bring me great joy to watch your life taken from you... your death will serve a far greater purpose... as a message to your vainglorious friends. You see, my parents devoted their entire lives to building up their name so that they might earn the respect and approval of their wealthy associates... But despite their ivy league educations, they remained quite ignorant. After all those years of torment, your ridicule served to teach me an important admonition... **If you want respect in life**...

Penguin turns and looks directly at his eyes.

PENGUIN

**you must** _**take it**_.

The Penguin pauses to let this sink in. He stands up straight, turns to the side.

PENGUIN

(looking at his two bodyguards)

Now. My men here are experts at what they do... and they have been instructed to take their time

Penguin reveals an evil smirk as he speaks

PENGUIN

so that I can savor every moment of your death. Your wife will watch and then she will join you.

Penguin turns to his men, nods, and begins walking away. Penguins two bodyguards, Waylon Jones and Anatoli Knyazev, who create a MENACING PRESENCE, nod in understanding.

RICH MAN 1

(yelling)

no, no, no, no, no, wait!

Penguin pauses, turning his head slightly, revealing a malevolent smile.

PENGUIN

You cry in vain, my friend, for your years of torment also mitigated the onerous need to feel pity and helped me to become inured to the suffering of others, an attribute which I find quite useful in times such as this.

He turns away as Jones and the Russian Knyazev calmly and methodically torture and kill the Rich Man 1. The Penguin has a satisfied grin. His grand scheme is underway, made possible by the foolish attempts at Gotham's destruction by his predecessors. _For the Penguin is an opportunist, like a snake, overtaking the tunnels dug by a mole_. The timing was perfect. In the aftermath of Bane's carnage, all of the necessary holes now existed in Gotham, allowing the Penguin to fill them with his malevolence - his ultimate goal now finally within his grasp.


	2. Scene 2

EXT. HIMALAYAS – SUNRISE (RAINING)

With the sun rising in the distance, John Blake is running at an IMPOSSIBLE pace. The terrain is rocky, TREACHEROUS. Deadly cliffs surround him as he ascends the mountain. He arrives at the top of the mountain barely winded. It is evident that he has been training relentlessly since he resigned from the GCPD. He is in peak physical condition, his muscles now well-defined. He enters the Himalayan dojo.

INT. DOJO MAIN ROOM - CONTINUOUS

As Blake enters, he bows to his master, Wu-San. Wielding two rattan sticks, Blake spars intensely against one of Wu-San's top students. As she observes his morning training, Wu-San admires Blake's dedication, for he has yet to take respite from his training since joining her in the mountains over the past several months. After only minutes, Blake's strength and speed wear down his opponent, and Blake takes advantage with a devastating final blow finishing off his adversary.

WU-SAN

You have a warrior's heart.

The grandmaster, with a distinct eastern accent, speaks with wisdom beyond her years, yet despite her age, she retains youthful appearance and strength. Wu-San begins leading Blake up a set of stairs to a training area high above the ground - a six by six platform.

WU-SAN

You train as if the spears from your enemies are even now bearing down on your family.

They arrive at a six by six platform at least 15 feet above the training mat below.

BLAKE

My family is dead.

WU-SAN

Yet you live on, using their memory to drive you ever closer to confronting the past that still haunts you to this day.

Blake is silent. Wu-San turns to face Blake.

WU-SAN

Through your dedication you have quickly become adept at almost all of the Eskrima arts, even challenging my best students while wielding your rattan sticks. Now you are finally ready to master the art of the Suntukan, the _live hand._

Wu-San throws both of her rattan sticks off the platform and gets into her fighting stance and Blake takes his.

WU-SAN

The kali warrior must become ambidextrous, with the ability to use each limb independently, allowing for simultaneous strikes against the opponent.

Wu-san and Blake begin circling each other. As Blake attacks, Wu-san, who is unarmed, quickly disarms Blake's left hand, depriving him of one of his rattan sticks. Now each has one stick. They continue to circle each other, planning their next move.

WU-SAN

Even when a warrior wields one weapon alone, the _live hand_ is used to control and manipulate the opponent.

Blake attacks. Wu-san blocks and uses her open hand to simultaneously strike Blake in the throat, leaving him breathless.

CUT TO:

INT. DOJO ALTERNATE ROOM - LATER

WU-SAN (O.C.)

As one shorter in stature, weaker in strength, you must learn to harness the energy of your opponent, using anticipation and awareness. Their body language will betray them, allowing you to predict their movements before they even strike.

Now Blake is the one unarmed, facing a large male opponent. It is obvious he is a quick learner, already demonstrating mastery of the Suntukan by turning the strength and momentum of his adversary against him.

CUT TO:

INT. DOJO MAIN ROOM - LATER

WU-SAN (O.C.)

The kali warrior is an expert in disarming, in knife fighting, in hand-to-hand combat

Blake is unarmed against a knife-wielding opponent. His opponent strikes, and Blake easily disarms and cripples the opponent. With a knife from the first opponent, Blake looks on to the next in line, motioning him to come. They spar, each with one knife in hand. Blake quickly dispatches with this opponent, disarming him, striking him in the throat, and rolling him to the ground with his open hand. He lands on top of the opponent, knife hand at his throat. Wu-San, arms crossed, looks on from the side, clearly impressed.

CUT TO:

INT. DOJO MAIN ROOM - LATER

WU-SAN

Your feet must move as quickly as your hands. The Serrada stance uses a triangular base for short, quick footwork, and a low stance, allowing you to retain balance and defend from all sides.

Blake trains under an improvised four foot ceiling made from bamboo laid across several wooden barrels, forcing him to keep a low stance while practicing careful footwork as he performs various kicks, strikes, and blocks.

CUT TO:

INT. DOJO KITCHEN - LATER

WU-SAN (O.C.)

You must become an expert at improvisation. Weapons come in many shapes and sizes.

Four armed opponents attack Blake at once. He is unarmed. He dodges the first man, using his forward energy to easily flip him over and launch him into the second man. The third strikes from above with a stick. Blake grabs a dish towel, blocks the attack, wraps the towel around the stick and disarms the attacker. Blake continues to use the towel effectively to block, distract, and attack his opponents. He takes out the remaining man by flinging him through a closet. A broomstick falls to the ground.

Four more arrive. Blake flips up the stick with his foot to his hands, breaks off the broom, and wields the improvised bo with expert precision, quickly dispatching the new challengers. He looks down at the bo in his hands. _His mind floods with images of the potential_.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOREST NEAR THE DOJO - LATER

WU-SAN (O.C.)

The final test of a warrior is his ability to adapt and overcome any obstacle presented to him, even the impossible.

Blake, armed with only a panangga (shield) and a rattan stick, waits calmly in the forest as at least twenty men approach. They attack. He weaves gracefully in and out of the trees to dodge and separate his opponents, allowing him to take them out quickly without permitting them to attack him all at once. The rattan stick is a fury of deadly strikes, wielded with uncanny speed, which Blake uses efficiently and effectively. Moments pass. Eighteen men already eliminated. Blake hops up two adjacent trees using his legs to rise and dodge two attackers, spinning sideways over one and pouncing down on the other from above. Blake's knee crushes the man, who lay motionless. Sensing an attack from behind, he runs up another tree, flipping backwards to dodge and take out his final opponent... It is sunset. He turns to Wu-San and bows. She walks off, finished with his training for the day. Blake remains, training into the night by running to a local cliff and climbing up the steep precipice. He arrives at the top, drenched with sweat, looking on at the village in the moonlight, is finally ready to return home.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF THE DOJO - THE NEXT MORNINT

Blake is sharing a meal with his teacher, drinking soup from a bowl.

WU-SAN

Do you know how kali began?

Blake looks up, curious.

WU-SAN

When the Spaniards invaded and took over our lands, they made a decree, condemning the use of any type of weaponry, forcing my people to surrender their freedom to the Spaniards... But there were some who resisted, some who refused to give up their way of life.

BLAKE

What happened?

WU-SAN

The kali master, Ou Pianzi Sensei, went underground, circumventing the decree by practicing with sticks to ensure the survival of the kali art. He continued training in secret for many years with those brave enough to join him, teaching them from the ancient and forbidden scriptures. But it wasn't the nobility or the warrior class... it was the commoners, the peasants, who were willing to risk their lives to carry on these traditions, using their training to ensure the survival of their people, their villages, as they fought against their oppressors.

Wu-san stands.

WU-SAN

What has led you to the path of the kali warrior?

BLAKE

My city too has been invaded... and our commoners are again facing oppression...

Blake stands.

BLAKE

And I must return home to ensure the survival of my people.

WU-SAN

You have finished learning the kali art. Use it with great care.

Blake reaches for a gift, to thank Wu-San in the customary fashion and say goodbye. He places a necklace over her head, bows, picks up his belongings, and begins walking away toward the local village. She looks down at the small, silver piece of metal dangling on the necklace, the NIGHTWING SYMBOL.


	3. Scene 3

EXT. CAFÉ, FLORENCE - DAY

Moving toward the beautiful city of Florence. Zooming in on a small cafe.

INSERT CUT:

Alfred folds his paper. Pulls out his money, then stops, seeing... across the tables, a familiar couple... Bruce smiles at Alfred, who nods. Bruce turns back to the pretty brunette in pearls. Selina. Alfred pays his bill, content.

SELINA

What will you do when you return to Gotham?

After leaving Gotham and putting down his Cape and Cowl for the last time, Wayne quickly realized that he would require a new outlet to mitigate his innate need to facilitate Gotham's redemption, if he were to have any chance at successfully moving on with his life.

WAYNE

Help to rebuild it. The people need a new hero... one without a mask.

SELINA

But everyone thinks Bruce Wayne has been killed.

WAYNE

Not killed. _Rejuvenated_. _A new man_. My facade as a playboy will be gone, given up after finding love again.

Selina smiles.

WAYNE

Besides, explaining a six month hiatus should be much easier than a seven year absence. Gotham already knows that I have made a habit of taking extended vacations.

Wayne becomes more serious.

WAYNE

And the people will see that Bane's attack on Gotham has changed me, helping me to realize...

Wayne looks at Selina

WAYNE

(smiles)

what's important in life.

SELINA

(worried)

And what about Batman?

WAYNE

His work in Gotham is finished. It is up to the people of Gotham now... and when the time comes, when he is ready, a new hero will emerge... to ensure Gotham's restoration.

Selina is curious and excited about this fresh start with Bruce, yet an unhealed wound remains deep inside her. She is uncertain whether she can give up her past life as she notices an elegant diamond bracelet on the wealthy woman across the patio of the Cafe.

INT. HOTEL BALCONY, FLORENCE - NIGHT

Wayne and Selina drink wine and enjoy a beautiful Florence sunset on a grand Florence Hotel balcony. Wayne is visibly recovering from both the physical and psychological damages lingering from his previous life.

Selina walks through the balcony door with a glass of wine and a sophisticated metallic case.

SELINA

What will you do about Wayne Manor?

Selina begins opening the case, revealing vials and a syringe, which she fills.

WAYNE

The orphanage... it will remain as part of my parents' legacy. I made arrangements before leaving Gotham for a new house to be built on the property for Alfred. So I guess I will be staying with him.

Selina administers injections in Wayne's knees, elbows, wrists, and shoulders.

SELINA

So what exactly am I giving you?

WAYNE

It is a new class of drugs called glucocorticoids. These experimental steroid hormones are now being used to stimulate stem cells that perform tissue repair. This is used in combination with new photopolymerizing hydrogels that aid in reconstructing the cartilage tissue in my knees, elbows, other joints.

Wayne wraps his arm around Selina's waist and sits her down on his lap. He kisses her and stares deep into her eyes.

WAYNE

You know, Selina, this new chapter of my life would not be possible without you. When we first met, I thought I was helping to give you a fresh start...

He looks down.

WAYNE

I never imagined you would do the same for me.

Selina lifts up his chin and kisses him.

SELINA

Bruce, a man like you, with all of your wealth and fame, you could have had anyone you wanted... of all the women in the world, why me?

WAYNE

Because you aren't intimidated by me... because around you I can be more of who I really am... because I have finally found someone who understands what I have been through... and the burdens which I have carried

SELINA

We don't have to bear those burdens anymore.

Wayne smiles, unsure. SILENCE. Wayne stares for a few moments at into the moonlight and then picks her up and carries her to the bed.

WAYNE

At least not tonight.

INT. HOTEL BEDROOM, FLORENCE – NEXT MORNING

Wayne walks in, carrying breakfast he has prepared for Selina. Selina glances at the smoke from the kitchen and down at the disastrous tray of burnt toast and eggs.

SELINA

(rhetorically)

Having a butler all your life stymie your cooking abilities?

WAYNE

(shrugs)

Perhaps we should order room service.

Selina grabs the tray.

SELINA

No. This is perfect.

Selina sets the tray on the bed, kisses Wayne for several moments on the lips, and then grabs his hands as they sit on the bed to eat.

SELINA

I have never been treated this way before.

WAYNE

Treated with breakfast?

SELINA

Treated with respect. Treating me as a person and not an object for pleasure... or worse.

WAYNE

You deserved better. I am sorry you have had to endure so much pain.

SELINA

Let's not relive those past memories here.

Selina wraps her arms around Wayne, and kisses him intimately as they roll onto the bed.


	4. Scene 4

INT. ALFRED'S HOME - NIGHT

Wayne walks toward Alfred, who is standing in a doorway, a private plane is seen on the runway off in the distance near the edge of the Wayne property. Wayne is carrying a box and rolling a suitcase, preparing to move in with Alfred, who is living in the newly built and strategically placed home on the Wayne property.

ALFRED

Welcome back, Master Wayne. (sardonic) I'm glad you _spared no expense_ for my new home.

There is a huge protrusion in the main living area, taking up most of the space in the room. Wayne peeks through the visqueen plastic draped from the ceiling and sees an enormous hole in the room, dark and endless. This will be the secret entrance to the Batcave.

WAYNE

(apologetic)

...I'll get right on that.

ALFRED

I hope so. Now. Since _you're_ moving in with _me_, (smiling) shall I expect you will be answering the door? I am retired, you know?

Wayne is not humored and rolls his eyes as he carries a box of his items to his bedroom. He pauses at the door for a moment, thinking. He turns around.

WAYNE

ALFRED

Alfred turns around.

ALFRED

Yes, Master Wayne

WAYNE

I never got the chance to apologize.

ALFRED

For what?

WAYNE

For forcing you to leave. For taking you for granted all these years. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I was too stubborn to see past my anger.

Alfred nods and then a concerned expression comes over him.

ALFRED

I must ask, Master Wayne... what brought you back to Gotham?

WAYNE

You were right, Alfred, Gotham does still need a hero,

Alfred is more worried.

WAYNE

but not Batman. The people of Gotham need Bruce Wayne.

Alfred is relieved.

WAYNE

_The people need a new face_, one that will use his knowledge and his resources for good... for him to be an example, to give up his selfish ways and to respond to the challenges facing our city.

Wayne looks over at picture of his parents on a nearby shelf.

WAYNE

It's time for me to start trusting others again, to start trusting the people of Gotham.

Alfred nods and smiles. Wayne depart to his room for the night.

INT. ALFRED'S HOME - NEXT MORNING

Alfred brings Wayne breakfast. Wayne is laying in a futuristic bed, with metal cylinders circling his knees, hips, and back.

WAYNE

I thought this was _your_ home?

ALFRED

_Old habits are hard to change._ So what is this bloody contraption.

WAYNE

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. The tubes create electrical energy through magnetic pulses to stimulate cellular repair in injured tissue.

ALFRED

(skeptical)

Perhaps you should use your free time to find a more productive way to spend your money. Especially since this is the second time you gave all of it to me only to take it all back.

Alfred hands Wayne the _Gotham Times,_ with the headline:

GOTHAM REMEMBERS.

Underneath is a picture of the Bat-statue and the people of Gotham displaying their gratitude for Batman's sacrifice.

ALFRED

Will you be attending the festivities?

WAYNE

I'm not interested in reminiscing about old war stories... but I do have some business to attend to.

INT. LIMO - DAY

Wayne and Alfred are traveling to the city.

ALFRED

Where am I taking you?

WAYNE

Gotham Plaza. I'm meeting Jim Gordon.

Wayne is looking at blueprints of new autonomous car technology. Alfred glances at Wayne's reading material.

ALFRED

(sarcastic)

Looking for my replacement already?

WAYNE

You are reaching the age when health insurance benefits become quite expensive.

ALFRED

Perhaps, but who will be the one to keep track of your schedule, answer your door, cook your food...

They arrive at the Plaza.

WAYNE

(thinking)

You're right. Perhaps I can hire a younger, more attractive secretary as well.

Alfred roles his eyes. Wayne gets out of the limo, but then turns to Alfred more serious.

WAYNE

Alfred, you became a father to me when I had no family left. I have taken you through hell and back, to the darkest corners of Gotham... and you have never left my side. You _**could never be**_ _**replaced**_ (foreboding). I am truly grateful, Alfred.

Alfred nods and smiles, his eyes watering. Wayne turns and heads toward the Plaza.

EXT. PLAZA, DOWNTOWN GOTHAM - DAY

Jim Gordon is standing at the podium, ready for his speech.

GORDON

It has been one year to the day since Gotham fell into the hands of a madman, since Batman gave up his life so that our city could endure. So we are rebuilding a new Gotham, one in which we can feel a little safer, a city that we can be proud of again... a city where we no longer have to stand on the sidelines, paralyzed in fear, while our city succumbs to evil and corruption... thanks to one man...

Gordon has tears welling in his eyes.

GORDON

A DARK KNIGHT, who in life, taught us how to overcome that fear, which led us to stand by idly while Gotham was taken from us... and in death, revealed how sometimes the only way to achieve victory is through great sacrifice,

He glances at the statue of the Batman, immortalized in granite.

more than one man should have had to bare alone. Now, what remains is for Gotham to respond, to move on, to shoulder the burden together. The challenges that lay ahead of us may still seem too great. And throughout our journey, we will have many chances to turn back, to surrender to despair. You may be tempted to give up on our city, for after such a tragedy, how could Gotham return to what it once was? But in the end, this darkness will only be a passing shadow, the light of day will come, and when it does, the sun will shine on Gotham again so that all the world can see that we have overcome, that we will live on, that one man's SYMBOL has inspired a city to never give up hope... So we will not lose hope, we will never give up... because _THE_ _BATMAN_ has shown us how to hold on to the good that still remains in Gotham _because it is worth fighting for_.

Clapping. The people are inspired by the memory of Batman. Gordon walks off the stage, solemn and alone.


	5. Scene 5

INT. CONVENTION CENTER, DOWNTOWN GOTHAM – MOMENTS LATER

Gordon enters the Convention Center and walks to the back corner to observe the lecture of a new and mysterious face in Gotham. The topic: Neuro-pharmaceutical Performance Enhancement.

ABSONUS

In the wake of Gotham's greatest tragedy as a city, it has been revealed to us that our fallen hero, the spurious Harvey Dent, has failed us. And the rescission of the Dent Act has led to the purging of Gotham's violent mobsters and criminals from Blackgate, leaving Gotham vulnerable and the prison barren and otiose. But Blackgate Prison need not remain abandoned any longer, for a new growing body of research has finally allowed us to develop a modus operandi for the rehabilitation of the criminally insane. We now have the means to finally shut down Arkham Asylum, by rehabilitating its inhabitants and transferring them to Blackgate. Not only will this drastically reduce the cost of housing this city's vilest criminals but also will enable the allocation of this funding to be used to rebuild Gotham.

Absonus walks from the center of the main platform to the side by the screen and the first slide of his slideshow appears.

ABSONUS

Now, this rehabilitation of which I speak draws from technological advancements in neuroimaging, which have revealed a great deal to us about trauma and its effects on the human brain. With the majority of brain development taking place after birth, especially in the higher brain regions associated with emotion regulation, complex thought, and language, there exists a critical period of time when environmental factors have a significant impact on the process of creating, strengthening, and discarding synapses in the brain. This process allows the human brain to adapt to its unique environment. When the brain is exposed to a healthy and safe environment, then the development of synapses and myelination allows the higher regions of the brain in the frontal lobe to develop the capacity for complex reasoning, planning, and impulse control. However, when the brain develops in a hostile environment, these higher regions of the brain can become significantly impaired as the brain focuses primarily on survival. The results can be quite devastating, and in severe cases, childhood trauma can result in changes to the brain that are irreversible. This leads to uncontrollable flashbacks, nightmares, and an inability to self-regulate emotions. In this example, you can see that extreme neglect of the child on the right has resulted in an underdeveloped brain that is significantly smaller than that of the normal 3-year-old brain on the left.

Absonus points to the two brains on the slide.

ABSONUS

In addition, chronic stress can result in the production of excess cortisol - a hormone which can destroy neurons in critical areas of the brain. These effects can be devastating to a child's ability to function in society, leading to higher risk of mental illness, _hyperarousal, dissociation,_ _lack of empathy_, and _high-risk behaviors_. These deficiencies, resulting from a frightening, unpredictable world, are even more prominent in the mentally ill. Through intense psychological testing and neuro-imaging, we have discovered that our own Arkham Asylum is a prime example. As we can see from these images of the serial killer, Thomas Hewitt, we find that the same higher areas of the brain, namely the frontal cortex, are significantly impaired. Now, what we are not saying of course is that significant traumatic childhood experiences are the cause of adult criminal behavior. What we are saying, however, is that there is a significant correlation between the damage to the brain caused by chronic trauma and the difficulties which violent criminals have with controlling their actions.

Absonus turns back to the crowd.

ABSONUS

Now, as a child grows older the brain's plasticity, that is, the brain's ability to change as a response to repeated stimulation, begins to lessen and the adaptability of the brain becomes much more difficult in adults. Thus, extreme childhood trauma has often led to permanent brain damage. This results in mentally ill adults, who are unable to function safely in society and are destined to spend the remainder of their lives in an asylum... until now. And with the help of our new mayor, those incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, who have been declared criminally insane, no longer have to remain imprisoned by their minds. For we have finally found the key to unlocking the mind of a killer, and with this key we now have the means to free them from their own prison, so that we may also soon free them from our prisons. Now, I would like to introduce you to Project Arkham. Under Mayor Hill's leadership, the Gotham City council has agreed to allocate grant money from the state and federal disaster relief funds to initiate Project Arkham, and after Arkham Asylum is closed, this expensive and ineffective mental hospital with be remade as Arkham Psychiatric Center, where rehabilitation and reintegration will finally become a reality.

Dr. Absonus pauses as the crowd applauds.

ABSONUS

Of course, we do not have the time to divulge all the details of our rehabilitation process, which in due time, will be published in various psychiatric and medical journals, but I will provide you with a brief summary here.

Absonus uses his pointer to point to an image of a damaged brain.

ABSONUS

As I have already discussed, chronic trauma combined with a genetic predisposition to mental illness can have lasting affects on the criminally insane. However, with our advancements in neuro-imaging combined with both new neuro-pharmacological enhancement drugs and cutting edge brain treatment, we have already begun to mitigate the damage done to the brain and can even create new neural pathways. Through newly enhanced electroconvulsive therapy, we have been able, in effect, to reset the brain. When ECT is used in combination with our NPE drug therapy, we have been able to reestablish brain plasticity which allows for a rewiring of the mind. Once new permanent neural pathways have been established, new cognitive capabilities are created. Thus, the broken mind of the criminally insane, can now be repaired and retooled. In addition, just as radiation oncologists can use radiation to isolate and destroy harmful, cancerous tissues in the brain, so now can we harness this important tool along with our more extensive knowledge of the human brain to identify, isolate, and eliminate certain overactive synapses of the brain in order to attenuate the violence which results from these problematic neural connections. As a result, our inmates will no longer have to fear their own brokenness, nor will we have to fear them.

Clapping. The audience is thoroughly impressed.

INT. CONVENTION CENTER, DOWNTOWN GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS

As Gordon looks on at the mesmerized crowd, he is less hopeful. Then he freezes, dropping his coffee, as a man emerges from the crowd. He has seen a GHOST. Bruce Wayne is approaching him. He fumbles to clean up the mess. He looks up. Wayne is standing next to him, but there is something different about him. He is more relaxed and amenable.

WAYNE

Surprised to see me?

GORDON

I... I thought you were dead.

WAYNE

A part of me _was killed_ that day.

GORDON

How did you survive?

WAYNE

Auto-pilot.

GORDON

Well, your 'death' has inspired _hope_. The _people_ of Gotham are rebuilding the city again.

WAYNE

And how about you?

GORDON

With the repeal of the Dent Act, Maroni's and Falcone's men are leaderless and have been waging war against each other to take back control of the criminal underworld. But corruption in the police force is down. Our cops are no longer running scared. So... we are holding our own against them. However, corruption still runs rampant among our politicians. With the new court rulings on campaign finance and the anonymity that has resulted, there is no limit to what money can buy. The mob thus has even more influence on our elected officials, especially our new Mayor.

WAYNE

That is where the Wayne family can help. My parents were once a beacon of light for the wealthy and the powerful, and ensured that the common people had a voice. It's time for Bruce Wayne to take up that fight again.

GORDON

and what about him?

Gordon looks at Dr. Absonus.

GORDON

What he is claiming... is it possible?

Wayne gestures at his leg, lifts up his cane and stands up straight, indicating that his leg is now fine.

WAYNE

These new experimental drugs helped repair my knee by triggering my body to reproduce the meniscus and repair my anterior cruciate ligament...

GORDON

Then what's with the cane?

WAYNE

(smiling)

Misdirection... don't want to arouse any suspicions about my past.

WAYNE

The military has been utilizing neuro-modulators for several years now, for keeping troops alert after during long periods without sleep, for pain suppression, for improving memory, strength, endurance, and cognitive functioning. And Dr. Absonus has worked with the military as a consultant for project JASON for the last ten years. What do they say about him at the university?

GORDON

One of the foremost scholars in the world in neurology, I'm told. The other professors at Gotham University rave about his brilliance and innovation.

WAYNE

Well, we must learn more about his work and his intentions.

GORDON

We have been keeping a close eye on him. The Mayor's legal team insists that he is violating no laws if his patients are willing participants, hoping to get a reduced sentence and moved from Arkham to Blackgate Prison.

WAYNE

And what do you know about this mobster, who GCN is calling, the Penguin?

GORDON

He too is a politician of sorts... he rules not simply by fear, like Carmine Falcone, but also by brute force and brilliant political acumen. He has many connections in the black market as well and he is well armed.

WAYNE

Can the GCPD handle this guy?

GORDON

Right now, we are tracking his shipments and trying to find the source of his money with a man on the inside... but we are still recovering from Bane's attack. Our police force was devastated. We lost almost half of our men, and the Mayor has cut our funding to focus on the rebuilding efforts.

Gordon pauses, not wanting to ask anymore from the man who has already given everything.

GORDON

What if Batman is needed again?

WAYNE

(looking at the people)

New heroes are rising in Gotham, _heroes that do not need a mask_. This city is being restored by the ordinary people of Gotham... This is what my parents worked their entire lives to accomplish. It's time for me to put down my mask and take up their mantle.

He pauses, and then speaks with conviction.

WAYNE

_Batman is dead_. Now Gotham's hope lies in its people... in those ordinary citizens who refuse to be silent any longer in the time of moral crisis, those who are willing to stand up to the injustices they see, refusing to let evil triumph... People like you.

Wayne is confident. Gordon looks to the side, unassured.


	6. Scene 6

INT. TRAINING ROOM, BATCAVE - DAY

Blake is training alone in a high-tech gym, with high definition screens, a weight set, treadmill, punching bags, and a training mat.

Blake's determination is uncanny. He is lifting weights.

CUT TO:

Blake training on punching bags.

CUT TO:

Blake training with rattan sticks on the training mat against air.

INT. MAIN ROOM, BATCAVE – MOMENTS LATER

Wayne walks down a stairway in the Batcave to the side wall which appears completely solid. He places his hand into a crevasse in the wall. A scanning sound and CLICK. A secret door opens, and he enters to see Blake training.

INT. TRAINING ROOM, BATCAVE - CONTINUOUS

Blake is training with the rattan sticks. He moves with breakneck speed and decisive precision. Wayne walks in, and watches him, arms crossed.

WAYNE

I see you've finished your training in the Himalayas. It seems you have learned well the power of your body.

Wayne walks onto the training mat and picks up two rattan sticks.

WAYNE

Now you must unlock the power of your mind.

Wayne and Blake spar. Blake is surprised at how adept Wayne is with rattan sticks, unaware of Wayne's vast expertise in various fighting styles and weaponry.

WAYNE

Your mind is your greatest asset and it must work with your body as one, a single entity.

Several moments pass, and Wayne is able to identify Blake's weaknesses. He exploits them as he uses Blake's momentum and speed against him to take him down.

WAYNE

Your anger deceives you. It may have given you strength against unrefined opponents, but it clouds your judgment. Again.

Wayne helps Blake up and they resume fighting stances.

CUT TO:

INT. TRAINING ROOM, BATCAVE - LATER

Blake and Wayne, clad in black armor, stand ready to fight. Wayne kills the artificial lights and two shadowy figures remain.

WAYNE

Speed and agility are your strengths.

The shadowy figure of Wayne disappears. He is invisible.

WAYNE

But they can also betray you...

As Blake attempts to move silently, his footsteps give away his position. Wayne silently moves behind him and easily takes him down.

WAYNE

You must learn to become invisible. A WRAITH.

INT. CAVERN, BATCAVE - LATER

Wayne and Blake, now in full gear, face off in another part of the Batcave.

BATMAN

A ninja is a master of deception, misdirection, he can become anything or be anyone.

Batman vanishes in a cloud of smoke. Blake walks silently and slowly in the dark to find him. He unwittingly moves past a suspicious dark rock protruding from the wall of the cavern. A figure flashes from the darkness, as the rock face morphs into a cape, and a quick leg sweep takes Blake down effortlessly.

INT. TRAINING ROOM, BATCAVE - DAY

Blake is running with an unrivaled intensity. Wayne enters, bringing two organic health drinks.

WAYNE

So what drives the man underneath your mask?

Blake stops the treadmill, still looking forward, DETERMINATION is in his eyes. He turns and looks at Wayne. He vividly recalls how helpless he was against the strength of Bane's men.

INSERT CUT:

EXT. OUTFLOW PIPE, ACHERMAN PARK - DAY

A dark shape drops onto the Mercenaries... Blake watches, in awe, as Batman takes them out in a fury of punches and kicks - then it is finished. Quiet.

INT. TRAINING ROOM, BATCAVE - CONTINUOUS

BLAKE

Helplessness, knowing that others were desperately in need during Bane's carnage in Gotham and _**being powerless to stop it**_. I will never again be too weak for those that need me.

WAYNE

With great power comes great responsibility.

Wayne hands Blake one of the drinks.

INT. CAVERN, BATCAVE - LATER

Nightwing continues to train against Wayne.

The lights go out. The shadowy figures are barely visible.

WAYNE

You must prepare for every contingency, utilize any aspect of your environment as an opportunity. Theatricality and deception are powerful agents.

Wayne uses a smoke bomb to disappear.

WAYNE (V.O.)

Your fear, your anger do not limit you; they make you stronger but only when you learn to master your emotions, your senses... though your enemies need not know it... to them you are unpredictable, uncontrollable... a VIGILANTE. Now concentrate.

Realizing that Blake has been relying too heavily on his vision, he closes his eyes and listens. They both move quietly in the darkness. The slightest crunch. Blake ducks, rolls to the right, and takes down Wayne. The lights turn on. Wayne is smiling.

INT. MAIN ROOM, BATCAVE - LATER

Wayne and Blake walk down the stairway into the Batcave which has some significant additions. As Wayne walks in, an advanced camera uses facial recognition to recognize Wayne and his two suits rise out of the ground. He pauses, looking at his two suits, contemplating the return of Batman again.

BLAKE

How did you conquer your fears?

WAYNE

I once thought that fear made me weak, vulnerable, that in order to defeat the most feared criminals of Gotham, I too needed rid myself of any ounce of fear in me. But fear is not the enemy. Fear keeps us mindful... it is not the removal of fear but the discovery of courage that gives us great strength, for courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is finding the will to act despite that fear.

BLAKE

So the Batman was created not to become fearless but to create fear.

WAYNE

You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent. You must _**become**_** fear.**

BLAKE

(understanding)

So just as criminals prey on the weak, exploiting the unknown... now the feared become the fearful...

INT. TRAINING ROOM, BATCAVE - NIGHT

Wayne and Blake begin to walk out of the Batcave up the stairs leading to the elevator which takes them up to Alfred's home.

WAYNE

The day we first met, you told me that after your father's murder, you could never move on, never forget. What ever happened to your father's killer?

BLAKE

My dad wasn't around much at night, too busy hitting up all the local casinos. He knew them all. One morning, I woke up, and he never came home. When I joined the force, I looked up his case file. After getting in deep with the wrong people, my dad was shot twice, once in each lung. The killer was never found, just a lone witness describing a white male with an 's' shaped scar on the right side of his face.

WAYNE

And you are still masking your anger?

BLAKE

It is what drives me to fight against injustice.

WAYNE

_Your anger gives you great power, but if you let it it will destroy you._

Wayne and Blake enter an elevator and appear in Alfred's living room.

INT. LIVING ROOM, ALFRED'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

BLAKE

I have spent my entire life trying to forget the past, to bury the pain, to move on with my life, but all I can think about is finding that killer who took my life away from me...

WAYNE

We cannot bury our pain...

Wayne looks off to the side, unable to forget...

INSERT CUT:

EXT. SIDE ALLEY, GOTHAM OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT

Wayne's parents laying lifeless on the ground, an image forever carved into Wayne's memory. Young Bruce looks down at the bodies of his parents. DROPS to his knees, head down: Pearls dot the asphalt beneath him. Some of them are bloody.

WAYNE (V.O.)

the tragedies that we face become a part of us, being replayed in the memories that won't fade away despite how hard we try to forget them...

INT. LIVING ROOM, ALFRED'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

Wayne is looking down as he speaks.

WAYNE

but the grief and pain does not change us, it reveals us... it reveals who we really are underneath all our facades.

INSERT CUT:

EXT. 52ND STREET - DAWN

Water. Smoldering blackness. The FIRE CREWS extinguish the last flames of the devastated building. A FIREMAN nudges his COLLEAGUE, pointing to something in the devastation... The Firemen watch a statue-like figure amidst the charred ruins. The Batman.

WAYNE (V.O.)

And we are faced with a choice on how we will go on... merely existing, forever imprisoned by the life we once had and lost...

INT. LIVING ROOM, ALFRED'S HOME - CONTINUOUS

WAYNE

(still looking down)

or facing the reality, no matter how hard, admitting to ourselves that though our old life is gone...

Wayne glances at a picture of him with Selina

WAYNE

we can still go on living, making a new life for ourselves, leaving behind our bitterness and anger we so desperately cling to, a life where we are stronger and better because of the tragedies we have faced.

EXT. PATIO, ALFRED'S HOME - MORNING

Blake and Wayne are drinking more health drinks.

BLAKE

When this all began, before ever putting on the mask, how did you know Gotham wouldn't just reject you.

WAYNE

As a man you can be ignored or destroyed but as a symbol... as a symbol, you can become incorruptible in the eyes of the people of Gotham... and strike fear into the heart of your enemy. You must create the illusion that you are invulnerable, that you are faster, stronger, and more powerful than anything your enemies have ever seen.

As Wayne speaks, he realizes that he isn't quite ready to give up Batman yet. He looks down at his health drink and his well-defined muscles. He hasn't felt this strong in years. As he has been training Blake, he discovers that he has also been **retraining himself** to make a full recovery from a broken back. But he is different now, older and wiser. He now has humility, realizing that he must outsmart, not just overpower his opponents. He considers this silently.

BLAKE

What made you choose bats?

WAYNE

Bats terrified me as a boy, but they helped me to rediscover who I really was, that I no longer had to be held captive by the death of my parents. Thus becoming Batman, for me, was a story about a victim of tragedy who emerged as a SYMBOL OF JUSTICE. And the BAT became a symbol for the good to rally behind... and the evil to fear...

Blake listens intently, and then looks down at his own symbol, which dangles from his hand on a string. He will soon use it to strike fear into the heart of the criminal underworld. His eyes are more INTENSE than ever, as he contemplates what appellation he will designate for his new persona.


End file.
